


Never the Twain Shall Meet

by VicenteValtieri



Series: Starscream's Sparklings [4]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: M/M, Prequel, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-10-22 07:09:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 6,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10692243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicenteValtieri/pseuds/VicenteValtieri
Summary: Optimus Prime and Starscream. Opposites and enemies.But there's this sneaky little saying about opposites and about the relationship between hatred and love.





	1. Chapter 1

Starscream lay near off-lining on the battle field. As usual, the plan had been a complete flop. Worse than a flop, really. A disaster of epic proportions. 

They had lost half of the Seekers, including Thundercracker, and a good portion of their ground troops as well.

And, of course, there was the minor detail that the second in command and air commander was dangerously close to offlining. 

Starscream was agonizingly attempting to patch himself up with an aid kit he always carried in his subspace. It wasn’t working.

A broad-shouldered shadow fell across him and he turned to snarl with his sharp dentas, claiming bravado.

Optimus Prime knelt at a safe distance. “Starscream.”

“Prime.” Starscream casually continued to apply pressure to a main energon line.

“Are you injured badly?”

“No.” Starscream flatly responded.

“Very well. Are you too stubborn to accept aid when you clearly will off-line without it?”

Starscream pressed his lipplates together. When he put it like that, it sounded absolutely glitched to refuse help. “Well, you’re just such an amazing orator and diplomat that I have to allow you your way with me.” His sarcasm was cutting.

Prime smiled softly. “I wouldn’t dare.” He unpacked a first aid kit and began patching the open wounds.

“Why?” Starscream questioned when he was done. “What do you want?”

Prime stood up and surveyed the battle field. “Enough energon has been shed today.”

Starscream gripped a rock formation and pulled himself to his pedes. “You can say that again.” He miserably looked at the remains of his air force.

They stood there for a long time, too weary to move. Finally, Starscream looked up into the sky where a familiar black and purple jet was flying towards them. 

“You should go.” Prime told him.

“That’s it?” Starscream questioned. “You don’t want anything from me?”

“No. Not unless you’re offering.”

Starscream was taken aback. “Well, I’m not.” And he transformed painfully, shooting off to join his remaining trine mate in the sky.


	2. Here we stand, Together

Skywarp and Starscream sat beside their offline trinemate's bier in silence. The two remaining Seekers were keeping vigil over their brother in arms. 

Starscream put an arm around Skywarp. The purple and black Seeker was taking this hard. Though Starscream had always been a bit standoffish from his trine, Skywarp and Thundercracker had been mates. 

Skywarp's wings were practically drooping to the ground as he pressed into his trineleader's side. Their faint, trine-bond was full of misery and need for affection. 

Starscream responded with what comfort he could, but he could never love Skywarp the way the other Seeker needed. They had been trined since the start of the war and never grown closer to each other.

In truth, Starscream hadn't wanted to trine with other Seekers. He was a loner, different from them all. It was part of his nature as Winglord, he assumed. He had to take care of Seekers as a whole and not be partial to any two of them. 

That was one of the reasons he remained with the Decepticons in spite of Megatron's abusive nature towards his second. If Starscream left the Decepticon fold, either to become an Autobot or to be neutral, his Seekers would as well. It was a burden that he did not desire nor wished to exercise. Many times, he had considered taking a mate and creating a sparkling simply to have someone to pass the title on to. 

But Sparklings had no place in war. Especially not in Megatron's camp. Rations were difficult enough for all of them as the attempts to resurrect Cybertron sucked down more energon each cycle and discipline was harsh. It was not an environment for a free-spirited Sparkling to grow up in. 

With this in mind, Starscream turned back to Skywarp and rubbed his wings. The purple Seeker had begun to chirr in distress as they sat their watch and he was clearly moments from a full-out breakdown. Starscream hoped he found solace in some way, but had no idea how to offer it to the other Seeker. Of all of the tragedies in their senseless war, the ones he found most difficult were those connected to mates and conjux meeting their ends.

Starscream never intended to take a mate. Not while the war raged, certainly, and perhaps not after. It was insensible to tie oneself to another in this kind of chaos. Loss was bound to be the net outcome and the former scientist wanted nothing to do with more loss and senseless tragedy.


	3. The Red Dawn

Megatron was... displeased was too light a word.

He was enraged and ranting at the walls of the conference room and at Starscream as if it was the Seeker's fault. For the record, it wasn't. It wasn't Starscream's plan that failed. It wasn't Starscream's processor whose higher functions turned into "I HATE OPTIMUS PRIME" whenever they got out onto the battlefield. It wasn't Starscream's fault.

But that didn't stop the silver warlord from giving him a beating that made his audials ring with static and glitched out his vocalizer with his own screams. The screaming was theatrical and gave Megatron the satisfaction of hearing Starscream's pain.

Starscream's pain tolerance was such that he could bear normal battle damage without so much as a whimper. The exception was Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's systematic wing torture that they called "Judo." Honestly, it make Starscream wonder what they thought Karate was.

It was such a shame that he knew more about human culture than the Autobots did, and they actually enjoyed interacting with humans on a daily basis.

All of which, while satisfying to a degree, did not help him in his current predicament.

Starscream crawled away from the raging warlord and curled into a defensive ball in a corner. 

Sometimes, you just had to huddle down and wait the storm out.


	4. Together, Seperated

Skywarp helped Starscream nurse his wounds from Megatron's beating. 

Starscream hissed as Skywarp soldered a cut a little bit too much. "Careful."

"Sorry." Starscream could tell Skywarp was still really cut up over Thundercracker. He hadn't even called him Screamer.

"Are you holding up, Skywarp?" Their bond, such as it had been, was shattered. It hurt Starscream to reach out to the other flyer with his spark.

"I'm... I'm okay." Skywarp responded, moving on to Starscream's wings. "Look, I was reviewing the list of untrined Seekers and I found this guy who's stationed on Cybertron. He seems like he'd make a good fit. Do you want to see his file?"

"Skywarp, we've discussed this. I don't want to take a third member again. I didn't want to be trined in the first place and it- It isn't right for me to favor one Seeker over another like that." Starscream put forth. "We should just stick together and leave it at that."

Skywarp's servos stilled in their repair work. "Star, you might be okay being without a third, but I'm not. I've been trined since I was little. It's important for me to have a group."

"Well, it's important to me to have Seekers I trust and that's you and... well, it was you and TC and that was it."

"Oh." Skywarp continued work. "What about that guy you mentioned, what's-his-face, your aeriemate?"

"Pharma." Starscream shook his helm. Skywarp's memory was a funny thing. He had mentioned Pharma millennia before and yet Skywarp's processor had stored him away and brought him up now. "He's an Autobot, Warp, and he hates Decepticons. I told you that." 

"Oh. I forgot." There was blessed silence for a long moment. "What if you asked him to defect?"

Starscream sighed and shut his optics. "No, Warp. He wouldn't come and I- I don't want to go begging."

Skywarp stewed resentfully. "You're not so above begging when Megatron is after you."

Starscream stiffened entirely under Skywarp's servos and he stood up. "You know what, Skywarp? Why don't you get some recharge. I'm going to go see Hook."

Skywarp was immediately apologetic, another sign that something was wrong. "Screamer, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone there."

"We're both tired. Get some rest." Starscream left the room.


	5. Flight

Starscream stayed in the medbay just long enough to be repaired for a flight.

He always found a solo flight freeing and calming. It was lovely with the winds on his wings and in his vents. The human world was a bit of a mess, but it was a beautiful mess.

He tooled around a bit over a city and flipped a few times. The buildings below shone like gems.

He felt Skywarp trying to reach for him over their broken bond and sent back an idly reassuring wave. 

Kicking the speed up, he flew over the Southern desert and dropped his altitude to skim over the ground about six feet above the turf. After a few moments, he flew upwards again. 

He transformed with a twirl and landed on a rock, taking a rest and looking over the red and yellow scenery.

The sound of applause met his audials and he whirled with a snarl. Optimus Prime was sitting on another rock, nearby, clapping. "Impressive. Very showy, though."

"How long have you been there?" Starscream snapped.

"Since you were ground-skimming." The Prime folded his arms in a show of ceasefire. Starscream did the same.

"Well, it wasn't meant to be a show. If I was putting one on, you'd know." The Seeker pointedly turned away from the Prime and back to the view. 

"Organic worlds are beautiful, aren't they?" Optimus commented. 

"In a way." Starscream responded. "It depends on the world. Earth can be pretty sometimes."

"What do you like best about it?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just making conversation." Optimus shrugged. "The war has to end someday. I want to believe that if we can just understand each other a little better, we can come to an agreement eventually."

Starscream snorted in derision. "Right, Prime. I'm sure that if we all just get together and sing a few human sentimental songs, we can all get along."

Optimus chuckled. "I don't think I'd mind that. I enjoy singing."

Starscream shook his helm and took off again without another word. The conversation was becoming too weird for him.


	6. Skywarp

Skywarp was doing actual paperwork. Thundercracker had sworn it was good for relaxing the mind and clearing it of emotion.

Personally, whenever Skywarp had been upset, he had set pranks up and made trouble, but now he couldn't even think of painting Hook pink or covering Blitzwing in feathers.

So, he kept filling out his forms and reading profiles on every single, untrined Seeker in the Decepticon army. There were two of them, both in Shockwave's camp. One of them seemed fairly like Thundercracker and Skywarp had discarded his file immediately. That was all he needed, a reminder of his lost mate right in front of him.

The purple Seeker set the completed forms down. Well, Screamer would be pleased with him: Doing actual work and acting like a responsible member of the army.

Skywarp set his face into his arms and blew an ex-vent into his elbow. After a few moments, he began modulating the ex-vent, blowing "Yankee Doodle" against his elbow. If Thundercracker were there, he would be so frustrated with him.


	7. Argument

Skywarp pounced on Starscream as soon as he was through the door and had his aft handed to him for it. "WHAT ON CYBERTRON ARE YOU DOING?" The trineleader screeched.

"I want you to read this file and agree to at least meet the Seeker before you make any judgments about him. I want us to trine with him, but I respect your opinions." Skywarp cajoled, pressing a datapad into Starscream's servo.

Starscream sighed. "If it will get you off my back, I'll do anything, but I'm not promising anything, Primus." He took the datapad and sat on his berth to read it.

"How was your flight?" Skywarp asked.

"Dusty."

"If you don't like dirt, you should stick to the upper atmosphere."

"And you should stick to paperwork." Starscream muttered, flipping.

Skywarp hung down from his own berth and watched him read. It didn't look promising. Starscream was frowning and flicking too fast.


	8. Acid Storm

Skywarp knew the meeting wasn't going well. Starscream's wing was tapping against the wall behind him. A sign of irritation and Skywarp could see why.

When he had been reading the file, he had neglected how similar Starscream and Acid Storm were to each other. 

Their personalities were abrasive, they were both cynical and had to argue a point, and they were in general-

"Well, this has been pleasant, but I do not believe you are what we require. Good day." Starscream stood up and pushed his chair in.

Acid Storm nodded, not caring, obviously. "See you, Winglord."

Starscream stormed out- no pun intended. 

Skywarp trailed after him. "He seemed nice."

Starscream cast him a glare. "Not nice enough. I'm not taking a third, Skywarp. It's just a no situation all over."

"So you don't care about my discomfort at all?" Skywarp responded as they lined up for the space bridge. 

"I do care, Skywarp, but you need to respect my decision." Starscream rebutted. Growling, he pulled rank on the other mechs in the line and they returned to Earth.

Skywarp sighed to himself. That was his trineleader all over.


	9. Chapter 9

Starscream went on another long solo flight over the human desert.

He landed on the same rock he had been on before and knelt. It didn't surprise him that Prime wasn't there. He probably hadn't given their talk a second thought after Starscream had left that afternoon.

After a few klicks, he turned his helm when he heard familiar engines. A semi truck was driving along into the desert, avoiding large cacti and small animals alike. 

"I was just thinking of you." Starscream admitted.

"All good things, I hope." Optimus transformed to his bipedal mode.

"You wish." Starscream turned back to the landscape.

"May I join you? Your rock seems to have the best view."

"It's a free desert." Starscream folded his wings to let him sit on the rock.

"That is one thing I have always appreciated about humanity's world." Optimus sat beside the Seeker. "The truly beautiful things are free for all."

"They weren't always." Starscream pointed out.

"No, but it gives me hope that one day we will be able to do the same."

Starscream made a disparaging noise. "You suggest we learn from these fleshies?"

"Why not? Every species has something unique to offer."

"Prime, I can't imagine taking anything from this disgusting world except for grit in my gears and pieces of flora in my seams."

Prime looked back over the desert. "I will miss this world and the creatures that live here. They teach us so much without trying in the Autobot encampment. Perhaps, if you listened, they could do the same for you."

"I doubt it." Starscream disagreed and they fell silent, watching the desert.


	10. My Needs

Skywarp sighed to himself. He was lonely. There was no two ways about it.

He and Starscream had never really gotten along, in spite of being trine. Thundercracker had been their glue, their anchor.

He needed someone to talk to. Someone who could understand his pain and empathize with it.

He turned on the comm station and paused over the sig. Then, he began typing in a string of numbers.

Acid Storm's face filled the view screen. "Skywarp?"

"Acid Storm, I, Uh, wanted to talk to you about our proposition-" Now that he had the other mech on the line, Skywarp didn't know what to do.

"It's okay. Your trineleader's an aft. I wouldn't have wanted to be trined to him."

"Yeah, he is kind of an aft."

"Reminds me of my second, really." Acid Storm remarked. "Had an ego, Rainmaker. Needed stroking to keep him happy."

"That sounds exactly like Screamer." Skywarp agreed. "Tell me more, if you don't mind."


	11. Distance Between Us

Starscream came back from his flight and went to Skywarp. "Do you want to preen, Sky?"

"Sure, Screamer." Skywarp sat up on his berth and they began preening.

After a bit, Skywarp spoke. "So... I was on the comm with Acid Storm."

"About what?" Starscream's wing stiffened.

"About our trinemates. Who they were, where we went, and... what happened to them. It was good to talk to someone."

"You could have talked to me."

"Well... yeah, but Screamer, no offense, but you kinda haven't been the most sympathetic."

Starscream sighed. "I've made my position clear."

"Yeah. Yeah you have." They fell silent and focused on their preening.


	12. Take Me

Skywarp bit his lipplates. This was Acid Storm's idea. He didn't like it in the least, but the mech had heard about Lightning Strike and Skywarp had admitted he was desperate for the support a trine offered.

The three Seekers were standing, servos linked and sparks bared. A three-way trine link would never be as strong as a two way bond link and none of them were afraid. If it didn't work, it didn't.

They looked at each other, took deep in-vents, and stepped forwards until their sparks were touching. Acid Storm's spark took control at once, dominating the link as Starscream's had. It was a bright yellow, the lightest of the three sparks.

Skywarps own wine-colored spark took up the secondary dominance over Lightning Strike, the one who reminded him of Thundercracker so.

They stepped back after almost a cycle of standing like that, shivering in their embrace. And just like that. They were trine.


	13. Finding Out

Starscream walked into his quarters to find Skywarp, the picture of nervousness, picking at his claws and wings vibrating.

"What's gotten into your plating?" Starscream raised an optical ridge.

Skywarp sighed. "Do you feel the trinebond anymore?"

"I've been keeping it shut off. Why?" Starscream set down his datapad.

"Well, it doesn't exist anymore..." Skywarp scratched his helm.

"What?" Starscream froze. "How?"

"I... I've been talking to Acid Storm and Lightning Strike, the two untrined Seekers and, well, we decided to link up."

Starscream's face had become stone and cold. "And you didn't inform me, why?"

"Well, because you were busy and didn't seem to care and-" He went down under a pile-driving move that made his processor spin.

"I DON'T CARE? I'VE DONE NOTHING BUT CARE! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S BEEN A SELFISH LITTLE GLITCH-"

"I'm a glitch?" Skywarp reached up and tore into the derma above Starscream's optic and ripped it open. "Who's been refusing to take a third!"

"WHO FORCED THEMSELVES ON ME IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

"WE DIDN'T FORCE ANYTHING!" Skywarp roared back and it suddenly became very important to slag Starscream as much as Starscream was slagging him.

"YES YOU DID! I DIDN'T WANT TO TRINE UP! I NEVER DID!" Starscream grabbed one of his wings and wrenched it out of place.

Suddenly, the doors opened with a bang and Acid Storm and Lightning Strike descended on them, separating the two with great difficulty.

Skywarp hung in Acid Storm's arms as the green flyer chittered soothingly and stroked his wings to calm him down.

Starscream watched with some combination of hunger and hatred, regaining himself with difficulty. He threw Lightning Strike off easily. "Get off." Standing in the doorway, he hissed. "I never expected this sort of thing from you, Skywarp. You are no longer my lieutenant, I am re-assigning you to Cybertron, and I don't care if I never lay optics on you again."

Skywarp nodded and slumped slightly as Starscream swept out, injuries and all. "That could have gone better."

Acid Storm nodded. "You shouldn't have gone in alone."

"He would still have attacked even if there were three and we would not have been able to stop him." Lightning Strike calmly stated. "Let's just get to Cybertron and take up our posts."

Skywarp agreed.


	14. Loneliness

Starscream tore through the base towards the outside. He outright pushed Soundwave out of the way and took flight, heading for the desert.

All of the emotional strain of the past decacycles was catching up to him and for his spark, he couldn't outrun it. 

Why did Skywarp have to do that? Why did he just push him out of it like that? Couldn't they have spoken about it? Agreed to be friends still? Been together as well? They weren't as close as some trines, Starscream knew, but they had had a good relationship. They had communicated, taken care of each other, even defended each other when necessary. Thundercracker and Skywarp took care of their stronger needs while Starscream looked after them all.

And then Thundercracker had died. Killed by the Autobots.

And now his world had fallen to slag.

He tried to land gracefully on his rock, but stumbled, tumbled, and fell flat on his face in the organic dirt. Sweetly scented with the atmosphere and with an oncoming storm, it seemed almost a blessing against his faceplates as it sucked his flowing tears down into its heart. Humans spoke of Earth as they would a Carrier in some cases. He began to understand their thinking as he lay there, sobbing.

Gentle, large servos touched his shoulders. "Starscream?"

The Seeker turned his faceplates up, streaked with energon from the gash above his optic and dusted with red sand. "Prime."

"What has happened?" Optimus guided him to a sitting position. "You're injured."

Starscream kept his faceplates down towards the red ground and shook his helm. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. What happened? Why are you crying?" Optimus had a polishing cloth in servo and was trying to blot up the flowing energon. 

Starscream jerked his helm away. "Don't touch me."

Optimus sighed and took the servo away. "You can talk to me. I promise I won't use anything you say against you."

Starscream's optics blazed with rage. "It's your fault." His servo formed a fist and struck out against the Prime's faceplates, knocking him back and making energon run from under the mask. He had knocked the convoy good to the nasal vent. "It's all your fault! You and your stupid Autobots, getting in the way!" He tackled the Autobot leader and they wrestled, Optimus taking care not to strike back, but trying to pin Starscream so he couldn't strike in return. 

Starscream shrieked and hissed as his attacks were foiled and the Prime got him on his wings so he couldn't get free. "Primus damn you! Damn you all!"

Optimus held him that way until Starscream's struggles had ceased. "Do you feel better?"

The simple question broke Starscream. No one had asked him that when they had mourned for Thundercracker and all the Seekers they had lost. They had comforted Skywarp, who needed it more, was devastated, but no one had taken the time to ask him how he felt during the whole thing.

"No!" Starscream sobbed. "No, I don't. Everything is going wrong and falling apart and I- I can't stop it!"

Optimus gathered the Seeker to his windshield and held him, patting his wings. "Shh... Tell me what's wrong, Starscream?"

"So you can do what?" The Seeker gathered what remained of his vitriol and threw it at Prime. "Talk it out and fix me? News flash, Prime: I don't need or want to be fixed."

"Good. I don't want to fix you." Optimus held the Seeker close. "I just think that if you talk to me about what's going wrong, you'll feel better. You don't need fixing, but you need to talk to someone and clear your spark."

"And of course the great and selfless Optimus Prime is volunteering." Starscream muttered. 

"Hmm. Well, I'm volunteering at least." He patted the Seeker's back as the first drops of rain began to fall. "Well, we're going to be wet anyway. May as well finish cleaning you up while we have the water on tap." Optimus picked the polishing cloth up again and continued dabbing at Starscream's faceplates.

"... Primus, you're unbelievable." Starscream sighed and bore the convoy's attentions. 

The rain was cold on their plating and they knelt on the packed sand for a long moment, facing each other.

"My wing joints are going to start to freeze up if we stay out here." Starscream spoke at last. "I assume you have a plan for how we're going to get out of the chill?"

Optimus looked at a distant set of cliffs. "There are caves riddled throughout those cliffs up there. We can make it before anything freezes. Come on." He took the Seeker's servo and pulled him towards the rocks, grey beneath the storm clouds.

Starscream allowed the Autobot leader to pull him along, racing like a sparkling after him.


	15. The Cave

Starscream was reluctant to enter the anonymous cave they had reached. Underground and Seeker didn't mix.

"Come on. It will be fine." Optimus steered him in and Starscream went. "Well, we're out of the rain now."

Starscream flicked his dripping wings and sprayed the convoy mech. Hugging himself and folding his wings as close as possible, he sank to the ground and shivered as the rain came down.

"I only have one blanket." Optimus sat beside Starscream and opened his subspace. "Do you want it?"

Starscream did want it, but he wouldn't be anymore beholden to the Autobot leader than he already was. "Keep it for yourself, Prime."

"We'll share it then." 

The Seeker gave a put-upon sigh and moved slightly closer to the convoy as he held out the fabric. It was a human fabric- fleece perhaps. It was soft and warm against his plating.

They simply watched the rain for a few long moments. "What brings you out to the desert, Prime? Why are you always here?"

"I like to get out of the base from time to time. My men are very important to me, but sometimes they act like sparklings."

That sounded so like Skywarp that it made Starscream's spark throb. "Same here."

"Was it Megatron who gave you that cut?" Optimus questioned. 

The Seeker shook his helm. "Skywarp."

"Your trinemate?"

"Former trinemate. I gave as good as I got." Starscream folded his arms closer to his cockpit and hissed softly. Why was the desert so cold? He found himself gravitating to Optimus's warm frame.

"Why were you fighting?"

"He trined up with two other Seekers and didn't even bother to tell me." Starscream hissed, bowing his helm. "It- I didn't want to take another third after Thundercracker fell and he didn't like that."

"I see. That must have hurt." 

"It's not like we were very close. He can have them." Starscream replied bitterly. "I just- I wanted to be talked to beforehand at least. I thought it could wait until the edge was off."

"You cared for both of them deeply, didn't you?" Optimus suggested, an arm creeping around Starscream and pulling him close. The chilled Seeker went easily. He couldn't get enough of the Prime's warm EM field.

"Enough, I suppose. I didn't want to trine to them in the first place. I was coerced... sort of. But I didn't want them to die or be hurt either."

"You were a good trineleader. You took care of both of them and tried to lead them out of trouble. You can't be blamed for this."

"Of course I can. It's easy." Starscream sighed, optics dull. "I just have to remember that if I was just a little faster, a bit more accurate, I could have gotten Thundercracker out of the way."

"But then you'd have died in his place."

"And isn't that a glitch and a half?" Starscream shook his helm. "Things would be simpler if I was the one dead."


	16. Arrangments

Optimus turned Starscream's face up to his. "You don't mean that."

Starscream's lipplates had begun to tremble again and he bit them, hating the tears rising in his optics. "Yes! I do!"

"No." Optimus firmly stated. "Never think that. If you think that, you'll start yourself on a spiral that isn't worth going down. Don't you think you'd be just as missed as Thundercracker? Perhaps more?"

Starscream shook his helm, optics flickering with coolant.

Optimus sighed and took a corner of the blanket, dabbing the fluid away. "Well, I think that the Decepticon Army as a whole would lose a great deal of finesse without you. In fact, I should probably be encouraging you in this line of thought, you cause a lot of trouble for us, but I won't because I don't want you to be removed from the field. Not like this, at least."

"Tell that to Megatron." Starscream muttered, twisting his chin out of Optimus's grip and hiding his optics in his shoulder kibble.

"Would you like me to? I will! I have his comm sig right here, I can call him right now and give him a good dressing down-"

Starscream's optics widened and he tackled the Prime. "No!"

The convoy's deep laughter filled the cave.

"Primus dammit! You weren't serious!" Starscream hissed, inches from the Prime's battlemask. "He'd have torn me to pieces if he knew I was here, speaking with you!"

"It worked. You look like you feel much better now."

Starscream hissed angrily and turned his back. "I hate you."

"Oh, your lips say you hate me, but your optics say-"

"That I'm going to murder you in your recharge?"

"Something like that." Prime offered the blanket again. "Now calm down and come here. The sun is going down and it's going to get much colder soon enough."

Starscream sighed and came close again. "Of all the Autobots I had to be stuck with... I got you."

"I could make the same complaint." Prime muttered as they watched the rain.

"Shut up."


	17. Rejuvenation

The dawn broke over the desert with a rush of gold and red.

Optimus came out of recharge to find Starscream's wings pressed to his windshield. The blanket was draped over them both, barely managing to cover them. 

Redalert was coming. "Optimus? Optimus, where are you?"

Optimus sighed and answered. "Redalert? I'm near the Ark, don't worry. Just spent the night appreciating nature. I'll be back in a cycle or so."

"All right. Check in next time." Redalert turned his comm off and Optimus sighed in relief, optics trailing to the Seeker beside him.

Starscream's white paint was lit up with gilt and pink rays. Optimus reached out a servo and stroked his wing, slowly bringing him out of recharge.

The Seeker grumbled and pressed himself up off of the cave floor. "What happened last night cycle?"

"Nothing untoward. It seems we were waiting out the rain and fell into recharge." Optimus replied.

"Whatever." The Seeker sat up, the blanket falling off of his wings. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For yesterday. For listening."

"You're welcome. Any time."

Starscream sighed. "I- I know you're probably busy, but... I wouldn't mind talking with you again."

"Same time next week?"

"Sure. I'll be at the rock." Starscream stood and took flight, heading into the dawn.

"So will I." Optimus murmured, watching him go.


	18. Recall

Starscream's wings were hiked high and confident as he entered the Nemesis. He went directly to his office and began finishing out reports and plans. Reviewing them, he went about his work and kept his helm down. The last thing he wanted was for Megatron to ruin his good mood.

Of course, if the great Slag-eater took it into his helm that something that went wrong was his fault, his day would be ruined regardless of how careful he was.

As he worked, he noticed that there was a transfer waiting for his approval. He opened it, found it was for Skywarp and declined it. Instead, he sent a pair of transfers out moving Acid Rain and Lightning Strike to the Nemesis. He never wanted to see Skywarp trine away from him, but he was still his best friend. 

It seemed his night with Optimus had given him some perspective.


	19. Background

Starscream landed on their rock and sat down to wait, legs folded and arms crossed. He was determined to keep the oncoming encounter in his favor. Their last encounter had been distinctly in Optimus's control and he couldn't allow that to go on without being checked.

He sighed and stretched himself before striking his pose again. "I don't care." He murmured to himself. "He's coming. We're going to talk. I don't care what he says. It only matters what I think and do. He doesn't matter to me."

Sufficiently pumped up, he shot a casual glance behind him, looking for the convoy's appearance. He spotted a cloud of dust in the distance and watched it turn into the Prime as the truck approached.

Optimus Prime transformed and looked up at Starscream. "You came."

"Are you surprised?" Starscream questioned.

"A little." Optimus admitted.

"I could say the same of you. What would bring the Prime to a Decepticon for companionship?"

Optimus shrugged. "Being their superior makes my Autobots hard to talk to."

"And I'm not?"

"You don't practically worship me."

Starscream laughed. "No, I certainly don't."

"See?" Optimus climbed up onto the rock. "You're perfect."

Starscream's laughter turned bitter. "Not even close."

"Well, in that sense, you are." 

"I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted."

"I wouldn't dare to dictate."

"Of course not." Starscream folded his arms. "You'd better not."

"I value my hearing." Optimus teased and laughed at Starscream's pout.


	20. Call Me A Sinner

Optimus returned to his Autobots in a much better mood than he had been before going to meet Starscream. For whatever reason, his talks with the Decepticon Seeker left him feeling so much better.

If only he would defect, life might be perfect.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were wrestling in the common room. Optimus folded his arms. "Twins?"

They froze mid-punch, pointed fingers, and yelped, "He started it!"

Optimus shook his helm. "Clean up this mess and settle your differences outside in future."

On his way to his office, he met Prowl. "Prowl? Daily reports?"

"Right here, Prime." Prowl offered the datapad to him.

"Thank you." Optimus read through the reports and signed off on a few. 

It was a productive, happy day. He hoped Starscream was as well.


	21. Call Me a Saint

Starscream's day, by direct contrast, was awful.

When he got back to the Nemesis, Megatron had dropped a metric ton of paperwork on him.

When he finally finished with that jazz, Soundwave had a complaint about his filing. Megatron backed him up.

Starscream nursed a dent from snapping back that he used the Trans-Vosnian reference system and Soundwave just had to get used to it.

Of course, Megatron had taken offense. Sometimes, Starscream wondered why he was SIC if Megatron preferred Soundwave.

He and Skywarp had a tight, though civil exchange on the state of the Seekers and now he was just too exhausted to keep it up.

The Seeker went to berth and laid down on his wings, staring at the ceiling until he went to recharge.


	22. Live Life Like A Gypsy

"Do you ever think of leaving?" Starscream questioned Optimus. It had been a hard week for the Seeker. There were fresh weld lines on his wings where they had been shredded.

"Sometimes." Optimus replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I think of it constantly."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"Where would I go, Prime?" Starscream arched a ridge at him.

"You would be welcomed at the Ark."

"By you perhaps. A lonely welcome." Starscream stood up and faced the sky. It was dark. A storm was coming.

"Prowl would see the logic."

"But he would not forgive this." Starscream tapped his badge. "I do not believe in your cause."

"No, but nor are you a Decepticon."

Starscream chuckled. "No. I am still a Decepticon. But the Cause has changed around me."

"Then you should move. Surely there are those who would follow you."

"Megatron would kill me, Prime." Starscream's helm twitchet as his comm buzzed. "Speak of the Unmaker."

"Do you have to go?"

"If I don't want to spend more time in medbay."

"... Good luck, Starscream."

"Thank you, Prime. Next week." The Seeker took to the air at once.


	23. Intensification

It was inevitable, Starscream supposed, that he and Optimus would be forced to fight in battle.

That didn't make it easy.

Starscream mocked out a punch to the Prime's windshields. Optimus grabbed him in a dancer's embrace and "threw" him into the air. 

Starscream missed a few blasts with the null ray and came down on the Prime's shoulders, standing easily before the convoy tossed him off backwards and pounced on him. 

Starscream rolled out of the way, a wingtip tickling the truck's shoulder kibble. There was something growing between them. Something that couldn't be contained.

Optimus's blue optics met his as the convoy coiled for another strike and Starscream knew they would be meeting again sooner than their appointed week.

Megatron flew out of nowhere, breaking the moment and Starscream allowed himself a hidden smirk. The warlord had no idea.


	24. Step-Up

Optimus ran his servos down Starscream's sides. They had met at the rock, as usual, and Optimus had pressed a kiss to Starscream's lipplates. 

They were in the cavern that they had retreated to when it rained and the Prime was using his strong hands to play with his cables and seams. 

Starscream had his claws dug into the Prime's grill and was surprised when a servo landed directly on his modesty panel and the heel ground down onto the heated metal directly. It flipped open suddenly and something sticky trailed down him. 

The convoy's fingers were dull and thick as they explored the valve and found the thin seal. He broke the kiss with a gasp. "You've... You've never been touched..."

Starscream's cheekplates heated. "A seal surely won't put you off, Prime?" He growled. 

"Of course not, but I would want to make it special for you..." He looked around, suddenly conscious of the surroundings.

"It wouldn't be very honorable to leave me wanting, Prime." Starscream warned.

"Of course not. I simply won't break it this time." Prime growled, half warning and half promise. His lips caressed Starscream's cockpit as he began lowering himself to a kneeling position.

"What are you...? Are you going to...? Oh, Primus!" Starscream hissed at the first flick of the glossa and cried out in pleasure.


	25. Megatron

Megatron fixed his optics on his unusually cheerful Second in Command.

That wasn't good, nor was it expected. He frowned as Starscream quietly went about his work and hurried off to his berthroom. No complaints was practically humming in happiness.

He would have to watch Starscream closely. With a crook of his finger, he summoned Soundwave close.

"Yes, Lord Megatron?"

"I'd like you to keep an optic on Starscream. He may be up to something."

"Of course, Lord Megatron." Soundwave was on the case.


	26. Bring Down the House

"This is your idea of accomodations?" Starscream arched an optical ridge. "It's the same old cave you refused to frag me in last time."

"I've made some changes to the interior." Optimus passed an armstrut around him and pulled him inside. "I think you'll like it."

"I'd better." The Seeker cheekily pressed a kiss to his windshield.

Optimus rumbled his engine and pulled him into what might have been a fairly nice hotel suite except for the distinct feel of a cave. There was a berth, a table- on which were placed cubes of energon and flowers-, and music was playing softly. "Welcome."

Starscream put a servo to his mouth, lips quirking as he smiled. "Why, Optimus... It actually looks livable."

"I'm glad you like it." The convoy placed a kiss on his wing. "Do you want dinner first?"

"Hmm..." The Seeker looked up at Optimus and licked his lips. He pressed his frame against Optimus's, and one leg came up to trap the convoy against the wall of the cave. "I think I'd like you for dinner."

Optimus chuckled softly and leaned down, pressing kisses against Starscream's faceplates. The Seeker mewled and responded in kind, jets purring.


End file.
